The Theater

Currently, participating in the Grinnell High School Drama Department is an extreme inconvenience. The school's largest room is the gymnasium, which has bleacher seating and terrible acoustics. The seats are hard and uncomfortable to sit on during assemblies and concerts, and one must strain his or her ears to make out the sounds of the band and choir concerts that are held in the "Gymatorium". For plays, those students who are involved must practice and perform at the Grinnell Community Center theater.

For the sake of time and much needed gas money, it would be better for the high school to have its own auditorium. The plans for the new auditorium currently consist of 700 seats, a high-tech "fly system", an orchestra pit with a removable cover, and storage space for scenery and costumes. There will also be a "scene shop" next to the auditorium which will allow for easy construction of elements of scenery for the plays. The Community Center theater has none of these features besides the seating. The cushy seats will also be a nice relief when sitting through hour-long academic awards assemblies; people will be less distracted by the pain in their buttocks. If you vote "Yes" at the polls on Tuesday, the high school will have a very active and meaningful new cultural element added to its educational arsenal.